Hours later, after the girls were exhausted, the boys soaked, and everyone had laughed so hard that their sides ached, they just sort of crashed. Jessica sat off to the side, under a large apple tree, and looked at the children sprawled before her. They didn’t have Xbox or PlayStation, they didn’t spend hours on Facebook
or
Twitter, and most of them came from families that struggled daily to make ends meet. And yet, they were happier than any group of people Jessica had ever known.
A thought came to her, a tug to her newly formed conscience, and she knew what she needed to do. Getting to her feet, she plodded inside, and then upstairs to Viktor’s office.
He was there, working on his computer. It was clear he was writing something, probably another plea for money. She lightly rapped on the doorframe.
Looking toward her, he smiled. “Ah, Anya, you’re back. Sergio called; he was very, very pleased with you. It makes me proud of you.”
She smiled, and stepped tentatively into the room. “Thank you, sir. Ah, but, that’s not what I wanted to see you about. You see, there’s something I’ve done. Well… something I did, back when I first came here, and I feel… guilty about it.”
Concern flashed across his face, even as he turned his whole body toward her. “Oh, what is it? You feel the need to talk about it, to confess?”
“Yes, sir.”
* * *
Jessica launched into a long narrative about how she lied to the girls about her parents and got money from them. While she had earned some money working in the village, most of what he found on her following the train incident had been donated by Iva and the others. Viktor sat stone-faced throughout it all, but inside he was smiling. While he was sad to hear of Jessica’s dishonesty, the fact that she had come to him and freely confessed was an incredible sign of growth and maturity. He couldn’t have been more proud of her if she were his own daughter.
* * *
“Anya, it took great personal integrity and fortitude to confess that.”
She beamed. “Thank you, sir. And now, I feel punishment is called for, and I’ll accept whatever you think is proper. Just one thing, I would like to add a personal penance of my own.”
“Oh, and what’s that?”
“Let me work at the inn, and I shall repay the girls, give them twice what they gave me.”
Viktor nodded. “Anya, that is truly a noble gesture. Yes, I will speak to Sergio as soon as possible. Now, as to your other punishment. According to your file, Misha directed that you would get a mouth-washing and spanking every night for a week, for another such infraction. However, in light of the fact that you confessed, I think perhaps we should modify that. But I will leave the final decision up to you.”
Jessica felt such joy, she actually thought her heart skipped a beat. For a moment, she considered just blurting out a quick answer: One day would be fine. But then, she again felt a tug at her heart. It was her conscience wagging its finger at her. She knew what she deserved.
Sometimes a conscience can be a real… issue.
She hung her head for a moment, and then lifted her gaze to meet his. “Sir, I think the punishment should fit the crime, and a week definitely fits.”
“Again, very noble, Anya. Do you want to get the first one over with now?”
Jessica swallowed hard, and took a tentative step toward him. “Y-y-yes, sir.”
He gave her a warm smile, and held out his large hand to her. “Then come here, little girl, and I will be proud to help you on the road to redemption.”
A slight shiver rippled up and down her spine, but Jessica was determined to see this through to the end. Holding out her hand, they linked up, and then he helped her up and over his lap. This was when she truly felt like a real child. Gazing down at the wooden floor, Jessica actually made a mental note:
When I get home, I’ll see about getting the home some money to redo their floors
.
She was brought back to reality by the firm impact of Viktor’s hand to her small bottom. She yelped, but did not complain. After that, he set up a firm steady stream of spanks, and it wasn’t long before Jessica was feeling an odd blend of sensations: pain and pleasure, anxiety and relief. There was physical pain, but emotional pleasure. There was apprehension about the punishments to come, and a genuine feeling of liberation at coming to terms with what she’d done.
She was soon crying, and yet it wasn’t due to the spanking. No, it was the pain in her soul, and the release she was experiencing at being able to shed the hate and rage inside her. Jessica remembered something her father had taught her. He’d admonished her for ever feeling hate, anger, or jealousy toward others. As he put it, that was like drinking poison and expecting the other person to feel the effects. At the time, Jessica had laughed at him for being a fool. But now, lying there across Viktor’s firm yet caring lap, it was she who felt like a fool, and she wept because of it. As each tear fell to the floor, she felt another brick from the wall about her heart depart her body.
All too soon (something she never thought she’d say about a spanking) it was over, and Viktor was easing her to her feet and comforting her. Jessica managed a small smile; it was clear that he had gone quite easy on her. She almost laughed. Never did she think she’d be able to tell the difference between a mild and severe spanking, and feel actual regret at not getting more. Still, she had six more to go. So, it wasn’t quality that was going to be a factor this time, it was quantity.
“Thank you, sir,” she managed to choke out between sobs.
Viktor helped her to dry her eyes, and then rose to his feet. “Anya, I never thought I would say this to one of my little girls following a spanking, but you are most welcome. And now, I’m sad to say, there is the matter of your other punishment. Come along, and we’ll get it out of the way.”
Jessica could only nod. She
so
hated a mouth-washing! But, she also thought—no, she
knew
—it was called for. So, down the hall to the bathroom they went, and Viktor got the cloth ready. Jessica again made mental notes: get new fixtures, repair tiles, improve plumbing. After that came the soaping, and she gagged and choked on the horrid cloth for a full five minutes. Again, the punishment seemed over and done with much sooner than she expected or thought she deserved.
“All right, Anya, that was punishment number one. Tomorrow night, before bed, I or Misha will take care of number two, and it will be the same for the next six days, clear?”
She nodded. “Yes, sir, thank you, sir. I feel much better.”
He smiled and patted the side of her head. “Again, you are welcome. Also, I’ll see to it that you start work at the inn tomorrow.”
Jessica smiled, even as she rubbed her stinging seat, and left to rejoin the girls outside. Looking back, she saw that Viktor couldn’t help himself either, he was smiling.
Over the course of the next six days, Jessica took her nightly spankings and mouth-washings without complaint. She also made amends to the girls by apologizing to each one individually, and this time quite sincerely, for her lies. Each and every one of them forgave her, which also touched her heart.
* * *
On the seventh night, after all the girls were fast asleep, Viktor and Misha called Kelly on Misha’s computer, the one that
did
have Internet access. They used Skype to chat with her, as they definitely couldn’t afford a call to the U.S. They gave her a full report on Jessica’s progress, and Kelly wept great tears of joy.
“I think the contrast between the train incident and the car incident is most telling,” Misha said. “In the former, she lied and tried to get out of her punishment. With the car, she was quite contrite and willing to take the cane.”
“Oh, this sounds better than I ever could have hoped for! Viktor, Misha, you’ve done wonders with her.”
“We’ve done what we could,” Viktor said. “I think she’s just another example of what can happen to a little girl when given love, rules, and just the right touch of discipline. So, how do you want us to wrap this up, as you say in America?”
“Well, I’ll be back for the groundbreaking next month, and I’m bringing a little surprise for Jessica. Tell you what, just go on treating her like a little girl until then, and then we’ll all get together and surprise her.”
Misha nodded. “I think that would be nice. Let her revel in being a little girl again, and just enjoy herself. We’ll be taking the girls to the lake soon, and she can have some fun with all of them.”
Chapter Eleven
During the next two weeks, Jessica truly felt as if she’d been reborn. There were times when she forgot herself and almost thought she was a child again. Initially, the classroom work was her reminder; most of it was stuff she’d mastered years before, but Viktor added new things. He recognized her intellect and her need, her desire now, to be challenged, and assigned her some new subjects: Latin, world history, Italian lessons from a woman in town, cooking classes with Sergio, and so on.
Coming home from one such class, Sergio at her side, Jessica was truly shocked by what she saw going on in the front yard of the home. There were Viktor, Misha, and Aneta (the head cook) sitting in sort of a circle. Over their laps were three of the girls. Jessica raced up to the gate. Iva was
not
among them, but she was easily able to identify the girls: Bela, Kamila, and Jolana, and their skirts were up and their panty-clad bottoms were getting royally roasted! For a moment, she was a little afraid to enter the yard. She almost laughed to herself. She was so used to being the one in trouble. Then she saw Iva standing off to the side, sadly shaking her head. Jessica said good-bye to Sergio and darted over to her.
“Ah, Anya, there you are. So sorry you had to see this.”
“Yeah, me too. What’s up? What did they do?”
“The girls were caught cheating on a test. Viktor was going to just paddle them one by one in class, but then they started fighting, blaming each other for getting all of them in trouble. So, they got marched out here for public punishment.”
Jessica’s first thought was to slip inside and avoid this sad little scene. Yet, she knew better. Anytime any of the girls (including her) got the old public punishment routine, everyone was required to stay and watch. It did serve as an excellent reminder as to proper behavior, but it made Jessica sad to see the girls being punished. Still, she had to admit, they did deserve it. So, there she stayed, and watched as Viktor and the ladies truly let the girls have it. Their arms were practically blurs as they spanked, spanked,
spanked
, and the girls went from protesting to begging to sobbing and contrition. Yeah, she knew the drill—she’d gone through it more times than she liked to think about.
Finally, when the girls lay limp and sobbing over their respective laps, the spankings ended. Then came the consoling. Each girl was then sat on a lap, and their spanker offered words of comfort and compassion. They then had to apologize to each other, and then march inside for a makeup test.
* * *
Then came the first warm day of spring, and Viktor and Misha announced a trip to the lake. The girls were overjoyed, and even Jessica found herself excited about going. Granted, she’d never gone swimming in fresh water—living in New York meant visiting the beaches of Long Island—but she figured it couldn’t be that different. So, they packed up their things—picnic baskets, blankets and towels—and put on their suits under their clothes, and Viktor borrowed a bus from the church.
Jessica made another mental note of what the home needed.
Then they were off, Iva insisting that Jessica sit next to her. This time, she didn’t mind, and even encouraged Iva to sing a few songs to help pass the time. The lake was a large body of water, and it had a beautiful hotel nestled beneath a large stand of trees. Jessica studied the place. There was a time when she would have pushed the board of Globe-Corp to build a place twice its size, back at the village. Now, she thought better of it.
Viktor parked near the widest part of the beach, and then they all piled out. Racing down the shore, they placed their things not too close to the water, and started to shed their outer garments. Once again, as with her arrival at the home, Jessica truly felt her size or her lack thereof. Even after her ‘growth spurt,’ she was still a minnow alongside the whales of the other girls.
“Come on, Anya, let’s get wet,” Iva cried out in delight.
Not waiting for an answer, she grabbed Jessica by the elbow, and off they went toward the water, the other girls hot on their heels. Jessica felt such a cooling delight as she slid into the lake. The water was so very crystal clear, she could actually see small fish zipping about around them. A large resort would probably lead to pollution here. It made her feel regret at ever even thinking of doing such a thing to such a lovely place.
One thing that did make her almost laugh out loud was her suit. She had to roll her eyes, even though she saw it as totally appropriate. She and all the girls were in very conservative one-piece bathing suits, which she appreciated. Yet, she thought back to the suits she used to wear, and cringed. They had been downright obscene thongs and little doilies.
Two large hands grabbing her upper arms snapped her out of her memory. Jessica looked around; Iva had snatched her up.
“What the…? Iva, what are you—oohhhhhh,” she cried, sailing through the air.
Splash
, she landed, and went under. Bobbing to the surface, she shook her head and looked around. Iva was smiling, and the other girls grinning. Suddenly, behind them came Misha and Viktor. Now it was Iva’s turn! Viktor lifted her high in the air and off she went, right over Jessica’s head. Viktor was clearly very strong. After that, it was a free-for-all, the big girls threw the small ones, and the adults threw all of them. Jessica, as smallest of the lot, threw no one, but did quite a lot of flying herself.